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LEOPARD (1968)
Service dates: 1976-1985
Official number: 825
Shipping lines: P&O NORMANDY FERRIES; NORMANDY FERRIES (FRANCE); EUROPEAN FERRIES
Ship type:
Roll on/Roll off Passenger Ferry.
Career
- 03.11.1967
- Launched for SAGA (Soc. Anon. De Gerance et d’Armement), France. Lengthened prior to completion by Dubigeon-Normandie.
- 04.1968
- Delivered as Leopard.
- 01.05.1968
- Entered service on Southampton/Le Havre route in the colours of Normandy Ferries, a joint venture between SAGA and the P&O subsidiary General Steam Navigation Company Ltd.
- 18.05.1968
- Inaugurated Le Havre/Rosslare weekly service that lasted until 1971.
- 11.1968
- Opened Southampton/Lisbon/Casablanca service.
- 1971
- Solely on Southampton/Le Havre service.
- 15.12.1976
- Ownership, management and operation transferred to P&O Normandy Ferries Ltd (P&O interest 50%).
- 1977
- Proposed transfer to the UK flag met with strike action.
- 01.1978
- Lost her port screw in a gale. P&O submersible support ship Subsea 2 bought a mini-submarine down from Aberdeen to locate and recover the screw 24km (15 miles) from Le Havre, after which a P&O truck took it to Middlesborough and the P&O ferry Elk took it to Göthenburg en route to its manufacturers in Sweden for overhaul and repair.
- 31.12.1979
- P&O interest in P&O Normandy Ferries Ltd increased to 90%.
- 1984
- Ownership transferred to Normandy Ferries (France) SA.
- 04.01.1985
- Sold to European Ferries Plc although registered owners remained unchanged.
- 1986
- Sold to Oscar Express Ferries Ltd., Cyprus and renamed Countess M.
- 2000
- Renamed Dimitra A.
- 2001
- Renamed Mega I.
- 2002
- Operated by Five Star Lines and renamed Talya I.
- 29.05.2004
- Broken up at Alang, India.